Natalie Portman was fired from starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio because 'it wasn't appropriate'

The modern imagining of Romeo and Juliet has been done many a time, but for some the 1996 flick reins supreme.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who was 21, starred alongside Claire Danes, aged 17 at the time, in the Baz Luhrmann directed Romeo+ Juliet in a film that was met with much praise from fans and critics.

But many people don't know that Natalie Portman was actually removed from the film... and for a very good reason.

Knowing what a powerhouse Portman is considered now, it is admittedly hard to imagine her getting replaced in an acting role.

However back then, Portman had not long started her acting career and had quickly begun landing roles, establishing a good reputation among those in the industry.

Born in 1981, Portman was only a teenager - 13, in fact - when Romeo + Juliet began production. Juliet in the original tale is supposed to be 13 years old, so the director was staying true to the story's roots by casting an actor of the same age.

20th Century Fox

However, it's also worth acknowledging that at the same time, DiCaprio was 21 years old. A great age for portraying a dramatic romance between star-crossed lovers, but only when the other person involved is of an appropriate age.

Given the hefty age difference, not to mention the fact that one of the stars was an adult while the other was still very much a child, the casting choices caused a lot of controversy.

Portman has previously touched on this when discussing her short involvement with the film, saying: "It was a complicated situation and [...] at the time I was 13 and Leonardo was 21."

The actor went on to say it 'wasn't appropriate in the eyes of the film company or the director, Baz'.

20th Century Fox

As a result, Portman ended up leaving the role behind, saying: "It was kind of a mutual decision too that it just wasn't going to be right at the time.”

With the role of Juliet then up for grabs, Luhrmann settled on Danes, who was starring in a series called My So-Called Life at the time.

Danes was 17 years old, but while there was still an age difference between herself and DiCaprio, it evidently wasn't one big enough to cause an issue for the filmmakers.

Topics: Leonardo DiCaprio, Film and TV

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.